Obituaries : Actor Clinton Sundberg, 81

Character actor Clinton Sundberg, known for playing addled waiters, fussbudgets, worriers or nervous butlers in dozens of films over two decades, has died of heart failure, it was reported Wednesday.

Sundberg, who was 81, died Dec. 14 at his Santa Monica home and there was no funeral, Bernard Johnson of Gates-Kingsley-Gates Mortuary told the Associated Press.

Born in Appleton, Minn., the former teacher made his acting debut in stock and later appeared in London and on Broadway. He was cast most often in light character roles, typically as a sympathetic butler or subservient military aide.

He is probably best-known for his role as the right-hand man to the title detective in "The Fat Man" in 1952.

His other films included "Undercurrent" in 1946, "The Hucksters" in 1947, "Easter Parade" in 1948, "The Barkleys of Broadway" and "Command Decision" in 1949, "Annie Get Your Gun" in 1950, "As Young as You Feel" in 1951, "The Belle of New York" in 1952, "Main Street to Broadway" in 1953, "The Wonderful World of Brothers Grimm" in 1962 and "How the West Was Won" and "Hotel" in 1967.